The study looked at how tiny bits of plastic, called microplastics, affect Japanese anchovy in a lab setting. They found that adult anchovies prefer to eat smaller microplastics, similar in size to their usual food. Most of the microplastics were passed out of the fish within 20 hours, showing that they don't stay in the fish for long. The color of the microplastics didn't seem to matter to the anchovies. Overall, the study suggests that the impact of microplastic pollution on Japanese anchovy is likely minimal at the current levels in the ocean.